


To See Itself

by SatiricalDraperies



Series: Empire of the Blue Lotus [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Banter, Dark Padmé Amidala, Empress Padmé Amidala, F/M, Gen, Politics, Pre-Relationship, she's getting there at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27772144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatiricalDraperies/pseuds/SatiricalDraperies
Summary: The Senate is in shambles. No, the whole Republic is in shambles, and Padmé would be willing to bet that the Separatists aren’t doing much better.When the past comes to visit, Padmé starts to see the value of a different path into the future.
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Darth Maul
Series: Empire of the Blue Lotus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799698
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	To See Itself

The Senate is in shambles. No, the whole Republic is in shambles, and Padmé would be willing to bet that the Separatists aren’t doing much better. At least the Republic still has some of its governing structure intact, whereas all of the major Separatist leaders have been killed or jailed after the defeat of Sidious and subsequent destruction of their droid army. Padmé wonders how long it will be before a leader rises up from the ashes to reunite the CIS and continue the late Count Dooku’s work. 

They must find a way to completely enfold the various Separatist planets into the Republic, or civil war will inevitably break out again even without the encouragement of the Sith.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Padmé argues in yet another late night discussion with Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and several other senators. “While I agree that a united galaxy must be our end goal, it is just that: a goal. If we cannot find a peaceful path towards that end, we must either consider other routes or redefine our goal as whatever results from this current path we are on. 

“You have all seen the reports and analyzed them as I have. You know that unless we change our ways, the end of the Clone Wars will only be the beginning of a new age of warfare. The Separatists raise some valid concerns about the Republic, specifically concerning the treatment of Outer Rim worlds. There is hardly a way to rule these distant worlds from Coruscant when there is no guarantee that anyone besides their own senator has ever even visited, yet alone fully understands their culture, people, and struggles well enough to effectively decide their fate.”

“If you don’t believe our current course of action will work and we don’t have an alternative, the Senate will certainly side with the ex-Chancellor’s supporters,” Riyo Chuchi says. “I hear they plan to raise a motion to create an empire in Sidious’ image, if not tomorrow, then soon. What do you propose?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Padmé admits. “I keep trying to predict the future but all I see is the hard road ahead of us.”

“Then take the road one step at a time,” Bail Organa says. “You don’t need to single-handedly save the galaxy overnight, Padmé. All you need is to trust the plan.”

“A plan that you helped develop,” Mon Mothma adds. “I know your speech tomorrow will be brilliant. As long as you help us keep the majority in tomorrow’s vote, we’ll have time to continue rebuilding our future. Everything will work itself out if we stay on course.”

Padmé sighs. She isn’t sold on staying on course, not when no one can see where that course might lead. Still, she doesn’t have a better plan. Not yet, anyways.

“Alright. Excuse me, senators. I have a speech to prepare for.”

She exits the board room quickly, rubbing her temples and trying to run through her speaking points for tomorrow. It’s not working. She needs a distraction, desperately. 

“Sabé?” Her quarters are unusually totally dark. “Dormé?”

“I’m afraid your handmaidens took the night off.”

Padmé draws her blaster. That voice…

“Show yourself,” she commands, forcing the day’s exhaustion to the back of her mind. She can’t afford any weakness until she has this situation under control.

“You won’t like what you see,” the voice drawls. Padmé turns slightly, pinpointing its origin.

“I already don’t like what I hear,” she taunts. If only they would move slightly! Her eyes are beginning to adjust to the immense darkness, but she doubts that she will be able to visually identify their location if they remain so maddeningly still.

“Such a tragedy,” and she sees a subtle flash of silver. There! Padmé fires her blaster and the light provides just enough illumination to show her target.

“Maul,” she breathes and it would be a scream if only she had the air in her lungs to push the word out.

“Good evening, senator,” Maul says, casual as anything as he holds the blaster bolt in the air between them. “I must say, I expected more in the way of hospitality.”

“Did Naboo teach you nothing?” she asks, keeping a light tone. “I would have thought you had learned your lesson about my hospitality.”

How is he not dead? For that matter, how is _she_ not dead? However he survived the duel on Naboo, he is here now, and he clearly needs something from her. As long as she has value to him, she is safe. Keep him talking. Keep him placated. Stay on course, and she will survive this encounter to meet him again on her own terms.

“If you will not play the part of host, I will. Have a seat, senator.”

Padmé cautiously sits on the edge of a couch opposite Maul, her eyes never leaving his. Maul flicks his hand and the blaster bolt flies across the room to hover above a display of candles that Sabé claimed would help ease Padmé’s stress. To the contrary, Padmé’s anxiety only increases upon seeing Maul’s control in reducing the energy of the blaster bolt to light the three candles without causing any explosions or minor property damage.

The candle light intensifies all of Maul’s features: the crown of horns upon his sharply defined face, the ink black tattoo lines contouring his body, the exposed skin underneath his tunic showing all the way down to his navel…

“What do you want?” Padmé asks. Focus!

“Sidious is dead,” Maul says. “I already have everything I want. The question, dear senator, is what you want.”

“You could leave, for a start.”

“But I’ve come all this way! It would be a shame to go so early.”

“If you insist on staying, you could tell me where my handmaidens are.”

“In the next room,” Maul shrugs. “They’ll be awake by morning.”

“So you’ll be gone by then?”

“Don’t sound so disappointed, senator. I can always return.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Padmé says. “Is it Obi-Wan you’re after? You must know I won’t help you get revenge.”

“This isn’t about Kenobi,” Maul growls. Oh, so _now_ he’s getting impatient with bandying words about. “This is about the future of the galaxy.”

“It’s business, then. And to think I was under the impression that this was a personal call.”

“There’s no reason it can’t be both.”

“The future,” Padmé says, trying to conceal how Maul’s words affect her. “You have my attention.”

“The Republic is failing, but you already know that. I have seen visions of the carnage to come. Destruction that will make the Clone Wars seem like child’s play. The galaxy is facing centuries of war hitting all worlds and leaving no survivors.”

“And?” Padmé asks. There must be more.

“It is not inevitable.”

“How do we prevent this?”

“Not _we_ ,” Maul says. “ _You_.”

Padmé closes her eyes. 

“Look at me,” Maul demands. “This is your destiny. You cannot hide from it.”

“There is no hiding from destiny,” she says, even as she opens her eyes to look directly into his. “If it were destiny, you would not be here.”

“And what of my destiny?” Maul’s eyes are piercing in the low light.

“Tell me,” Padmé says. She makes a point of giving Maul her utmost attention. She has mentioned the importance of exploring all possibilities to the Senate; it would be hypocritical to not consider Maul’s words now.

“As you wish,” Maul bows his head, keeping his gaze fixed on hers. “Empress.”

 _Empress_? But—

“Explain.”

“The galaxy needs a strong hand to rule it. There is no one so decisive, so capable, so deserving of this position as yourself.”

“How can I ensure I don’t become a corrupted tyrant as Sidious would have been in the same role?” Maul’s vision is tempting, dangerously so. Padmé can see it now: the power she would wield!

“Power does not corrupt so much as it _reveals_. Should the galaxy fear to see itself under your rule?”

He makes a point. Padmé protests, but she knows that this is the solution she has been searching for. And with the vote to become an empire imminent… 

“No,” Padmé says, any doubt gone from her voice. “They should look upon me and rejoice.”

“Then let me be the first to pledge myself to you, my lady,” and Maul rises from his seat for the first time to kneel before her, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her knuckle. “My empress.”

“I am not empress yet,” she reminds him. 

“You may not be the galaxy’s empress,” Maul whispers. “But you are mine.”


End file.
